1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tape feeder, a component mounting apparatus and a component feeding method for supplying a component accommodated in a carrier tape to a component suction position by a mounting head.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a feeder of a component in the component mounting apparatus, a tape feeder is known. The tape feeder feeds the carrier tape which holds an electronic component, on a pitch by pitch basis to feed the electronic component to the component suction position by the mounting head. As a method for continuously feeding the components without stopping a mounting operation in the tape feeder, a tape splicing method is usually used that a new following carrier tape (a following tape) is connected to a terminal end part of a previously attached preceding carrier tape (a preceding tape). In this splicing system, an operator needs to carry out a complicated tape splicing operation every time that the tape is supplied. Accordingly, a work load thereof is desired to be reduced. Therefore, as a new tape supply system, a tape feeder of a splicing-less system is used that a following tape is set to the tape feeder without carrying out the tape splicing operation (for instance, see JP-A-2011-211169).
In the related art disclosed in JP-A-2011-211169, in a tape insert part provided in a rear end part of the tape feeder and a pick-up part which feeds a carrier tape to a component pick-up position, component feeding and driving parts are arranged and used which have structures in which sprockets are respectively driven by driving motors to individually move a preceding tape and the following tape. By the above-described structures, the tape can be fed without splicing the preceding tape to the following tape.